An Albany man currently held on federal child pornography charges is facing new criminal accusations after authorities unsealed a complaint today alleging he tried to orchestrate the gruesome murders of the FBI agents and prosecutor handling his case.
Aaron Corey, 23, who goes by the online alias “Baggeth,” is charged with attempted murder-for-hire, solicitation of a crime of violence, and obstruction of justice. According to federal court documents, Corey self-identifies as a member of “764,” a decentralized criminal network of violent extremists known for targeting minors online to produce and share extreme gore and child sexual abuse material.
The alleged plot unfolded while Corey was awaiting trial in pretrial detention. Prosecutors say he sent multiple letters to another inmate asking for assistance in hiring a hitman. His goals were two-fold: steal the electronic devices the FBI had seized from him so they couldn’t be used as evidence at trial, and eliminate the two FBI Special Agents and the Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) assigned to his prosecution.
According to the criminal complaint, Corey’s instructions were hyper-specific. He allegedly requested that the victims be kidnapped, injected with fentanyl, and forced through a woodchipper. Court documents note that when the original prosecutor left the U.S. Attorney’s Office for a different job, Corey updated his hit list to target the new prosecutor who took over the file.
The plan collapsed when the fellow inmate passed Corey’s letters to an attorney, who immediately alerted the FBI. Under the direction of federal agents, the inmate provided Corey with a phone number for an undercover law enforcement officer posing as an assassin.
Believing he was dealing with an actual hitman, Corey allegedly wrote a letter to the undercover officer outlining his terms: a $200 down payment and $5,000 total to steal his electronics, plus $500 down and $30,000 total to execute the murders. Prosecutors say he reiterated his demand for the woodchipper and requested a video recording of the act. Corey then spoke with the undercover officer multiple times and had his fiancée, who lives overseas, wire the $700 in total down payments.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III praised the rapid intervention of law enforcement.
“I commend the quick work of the FBI in investigating and disrupting this alleged and depraved murder‑for‑hire scheme. Their swift actions brought an immediate end to this disturbing situation involving an Assistant United States Attorney in my office and two FBI Special Agents. We will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law,” Sarcone said. “Let me be clear: any attempt to obstruct justice or to harm federal law enforcement officials or federal prosecutors will be met with the full weight of the Department of Justice.”
Craig Tremaroli, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albany Division, noted how seriously the bureau handles threats against its personnel.
“As alleged in the criminal complaint, Mr. Corey ordered the gruesome murder of two FBI Special Agents and an Assistant United States Attorney. He quickly found out just how seriously the FBI takes threats of violence, especially those directed toward law enforcement,” Tremaroli said. “His alleged plot was a depraved effort to rid himself of the serious federal charge he was facing, but it only resulted in additional charges that, if convicted, will significantly extend his time in federal prison. This sadistic behavior is exactly why the FBI is deeply committed to relentlessly investigating the sick individuals in the dangerous 764 network that aim to spread violence and chaos in our society.”
Corey was arraigned today in Albany before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart and ordered to remain held without bail. If convicted on these new counts, he faces a combined maximum penalty of up to 50 years in federal prison, a $750,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release.
Under federal law, the charges in both the initial child pornography case and the new murder-for-hire complaint are accusations. Corey is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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